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The Royal

After surviving a genocide in which over 2 million people were killed, this Cambodian couple find themselves living in the empty Royal Cinema but can a love for the arts be enough?

This film looks at how arts and culture were systematically destroyed by the Khmer Rouge, how the genocide stills affects the people of Cambodia and how a couple who lived through it came to reside in the Royal Cinema in Kampot as an attempt to revive an art form that was taken away from them.

Vimeo password: KHMER

  • Darren James-Teale
    Director
    Juventa - Move Into Light (Koven Remix) (Music Video), Damage (Short Film), Lange - Our Way Home (Music Video)
  • Suzanne James-Teale
    Producer
    Juventa - Move Into Light (Koven Remix) (Music Video), Damage (Short Film), Lange - Our Way Home (Music Video)
  • Epic Arts Cambodia
    Producer
    Uptown Funk Parody, Shake It Off Parody, Happy Parody
  • Sokny Onn
    Translation
  • Po Sakun
    Translation
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short
  • Genres:
    history, documentary, factual
  • Runtime:
    4 minutes 40 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    February 12, 2016
  • Production Budget:
    100 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United Kingdom
  • Country of Filming:
    Cambodia
  • Language:
    Central Khmer, English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16.9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Come Back Brighter
    Kampot
    Cambodia
    February 12, 2016
    South Asian Premiere
  • Civilisation & Culture Film Festival

    Croatia
    July 8, 2017
    Europe
    Grand Prix
  • Shared Sight Film Festival

    Romania
    September 23, 2017
    Official Selection
  • The Story of Space Film Festival
    Goa
    India
    November 15, 2017
    Official Selection
  • AS Film Festival
    Rome
    Italy
    December 17, 2017
    Official Selection
  • Queen City Cinephiles
    North Carolina
    United States
    January 25, 2018
  • King's College Transnational Justice Film Competition
    London
    United Kingdom
    April 12, 2018
    Prize Winner
  • Golden Tree International Documentary Film Festival
    Frankfurt
    Germany
    Official Selection
  • Low Down Film Festival
    Cambridge
    United Kingdom
    Official Selection
Director Biography - Darren James-Teale

Darren and Suzanne have been a Director/Producer duo for over 6 years.

They have travelled to South East Asia, the Middle East and Europe producing short films, documentaries and music videos.

Their work has been broadcast on television around the world including Asia, Europe, Australia and the USA

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

The Royal was originally produced to play as part of 'Come Back Brighter', a show by Epic Arts Cambodia which deals with the rise of the Khmer Rouge and the genocide Cambodian people went through.